Sad Day For Low Paid Workers As Govt Rolls Back Living Wage Requirement – PSA

The roll back of the Living Wage for those indirectly employed by the Government is just another heartless decision at a time when the cost of living remains a challenge for so many.

The Government is proposing to remove the requirement for those awarded government contracts to pay the living wage to security, cleaning and catering workers.

“The Government again shows it doesn’t care about the most vulnerable workers in New Zealand,” said PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons.

“Thousands of low paid workers carry out essential work as contractors in the public sector. Lifting their wages to the Living Wage was part of the last Government’s efforts to lead by example and improve the standard of living of so many. It made a difference.

“The Government talks about a higher wage economy, and but as we have seen with the scrapping of Fair Pay Agreements, the real decrease in the minimum wage and the 90 days fire at will law, it does not walk the talk.

“This is another backward step, among many, which will make life harder for many workers in a cost-of-living crisis. It’s heartless.

“This not what the Government’s economic growth agenda should be all about – a strong economy needs to lift the wages of all.”